


Priestess of Hate

by Liniel



Series: The Norrath Saga [8]
Category: EverQuest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 04:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19899739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liniel/pseuds/Liniel
Summary: Elynnea is a dark elf defiler, serving Innoruuk - the prince of Hate - faithfully.





	1. Chapter 1

The Temple of War lay silent in the early morning chill. To anyone who happened to pass by, the young dark elf appeared to be seeking solitude, so devoted to her god that she arose even before sunset to commence her prayers. Nothing could be more wrong. Elynnea's head was bowed, lips moving in feverishly whispered words of a prayer. She was kneeling on the cold stone floor before the altar to Innoruuk, the Prince of Hate, and had been praying all through the night when the other priestesses slept peacefully in their beds. There was no peace to be found for her, not tonight, not this day. She was furious, a cold hatred poisoning her blood like venom.

The day before, arch priestess Innelda had been in a bad mood already when Elynnea by accident spilled wine on the tablecloth at dinner. It had earned her a severe punishment. Innelda had smiled coldly when Ely tried to rub the stain with a clean cloth - only making matters worse. When Ely caught the cruel look on Innelda's face, she knew what was to come. Innelda summoned Ely to her chambers after dinner, where she whipped the girl's back. Ten lashes. Elynnea gritted her teeth, biting back the screams for each lash, determined to not let a single groan of pain pass her lips.

For as long as she could remember, arch priestess Innelda had treated her more cruelly than she treated her other disciples, always watching her steps, always eager to dish out punishment should Elynnea happen to annoy her in any way. Tormenting the young disciple seemed to be something Innelda took great pleasure in, and she excelled at it. Now, many hours later, Ely was kneeling at the altar where Innelda had commanded she'd pray until the break of day. Her lips were mumbling the words of the same prayer over and over again, while her mind was occupied with visions of the high priestess being tortured, screaming in pain.

Innelda's voice suddenly broke into these dark thoughts. "Elynnea." Quietly, Innelda had stalked into the temple, and now she was watching Ely with a strange glow in her eyes, her voice unusually soft when she spoke. "You think I have treated you cruelly." It was a statement rather than a question. Elynnea kept her gaze lowered and said nothing at first, but when she at last spoke, her voice was cold and devoid of emotion. "I do not question the actions of the arch priestess. She is the living word of Hate, our father."

Innelda smirked. "You have learned your lesson well. I am proud of you, child. The hate I sense in you is stronger than in any of my other disciples." The high priestess continued. "Ever since the day you were born I have worked to inspire a burning hate in you - for me, for the lower races, for all of our own kind. For yourself. Seldom have I seen such devotion in one so young. You have come far but you still have much to learn. It is time for you to leave the temple and learn the ways of the world."

Ely raised her eyes to meet Innelda's gaze. Against her will, a small spark kindled in her heart. To see the world... Compliantly, she nodded. "Yes, mother." "I have arranged it so that a company here in Freeport will take you in as their First Healer. You will obey me in this and you will work hard to become more accomplished in the ways of a defiler. Fail me in this and your life will not be spared." She looked coldly at her only daughter, who bowed her head in obedience. The arch priestess turned to leave. "Elynnea... To inspire hate in others is a gift. More than a gift. It is your destiny. Good bye, daughter. May the gods reward you as you deserve."

When her mother left, Elynnea remained kneeling before the altar, but now her lips curled into a small, victorious smile.


	2. Totem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some years after leaving the temple in Freeport, Elynnea goes on a spirit journey to find her totem.

The forest was silent in the early morning chill, and Elynnea's breath turned to a frosty mist as she knelt on the ground, unseeing eyes gazing across the silvery lake. It was the second day of her ritual and she was deep into trance. She had been fasting for a week and had not tasted a drop of fluid since the morning before. Around her, a faintly glowing ring had been drawn in the dark soil of the forest. A protective circle cast to ward off attacks, be they magical or physical. Her hands rested neatly folded in her lap, her lips mumbling a secret incantation over and over again. This was a test of patience and endurance and she had both in abundance.

Her highly attuned senses perceived what others could not see nor hear. To them, the undead dragoons appeared to be nothing more than rotting corpses, doomed to wander this cursed forest for all eternity... But she saw them in all their splendor, proud warriors of her own people, true and strong. Her lips curled into a smile as her eyes wandered across the surface of the lake, lingering on the swirling mists forming in its center. She felt no fear.

Long ago, she had learned to harbor nothing but the purest cold hate. All other feelings had been torn out of her soul one by one with every lash from her mother's whip, tearing the skin of her back open, leaving it forever scarred. Her mother had smeared the wounds with a thick black salve, cursed by a troll shamaness, so that the wounds would never fully heal. The pain that tore through her when she moved and the hard leather of her armor scraped against her skin, reminded her of what she was. Who she was. _To inspire hate in others is a gift. More than a gift. It is your destiny._ The words had been her mother's, and once they had been uttered Ely had recognized the truth in them.

There was nothing for her in this world but the path of hate. She had served her cruel god with zeal and devotion, never asking for anything in return. Until now.

Icy blue eyes watched as the swirling mists in the center of the lake gathered and took form. Her face revealed nothing, mirroring the hollow emptiness within her as the summoned spirit hovering over the surface of the lake turned its head towards her. Its eyes narrowed, its keen senses fixing upon her as it tilted its head. Its muscles rippled under its skin as it took a leap forward, plunging forth across the surface of the water towards Elynnea. She braced herself. Her powers were of no use here, for she was not allowed to bind the spirit to this world. It would accept her or destroy her, and she found she no longer cared what the outcome would be. She had served, and served faithfully.

She closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her. She felt its breath against her skin, sensed its hunger and blood thirst. But the moment never came. Slowly she opened her eyes.

The wolf slumped to the ground, opened its jaws wide in a yawn and placed her head in Elynnea's lap. Ely let out a laughter of delight and ran her fingers through the thick white fur. _My totem._ She smiled. She would no longer travel this world alone. She leaned forward to kiss the beautiful creature on its head, whispering its name. _Huntress._


	3. Huntress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A piece of the story, seen from the eyes of Elynnea's totem - a wolf named Huntress

She slipped through the night like a black shadow, darker than the surrounding night itself. Her paws made no sound as she stalked behind her mistress, eyes gleaming with a reddish light. While scanning the forest for attackers, she pondered the circumstances that had led to her current status, being trapped inside an animal's body. Once, she had been a demon, and very few of her victims had survived to tell the tale of her cruelty and skill when it came to prolonging suffering without draining the life completely from her prey. She had thrived off fear, driven by lust for blood and vengeance, serving any who had been scorned and wronged. But then she'd met her match, another demon. He had lured her with false promises of love and children, and she had believed him in spite of all her knowledge about deceit and treason.

Perhaps it was as simple as her -wanting- to believe him. A slight possibility that there existed in this world, someone who was her equal. A kindred spirit.

Huntress arched her neck and howled, a sorrow filled cry that echoed through the woods. Her mistress stopped and kneeled down, wrapping her soft arms around the wolf. "I know, precious. It hurts."

At least she'd had a quick death, slain by her lover in her sleep, so that he could take her treasure. Her spirit had passed on, crossed over to the Ethernere, where she lingered for centuries, until the grey veil of mist parted and she beheld the world: A woman sat alone by a lake, her white gown glowing softly in the dark night. Raven black hair framed a serious, sad face, and all around her swirled the essence of spirits, wriggling in pain as she drained them slowly of power to keep the gate open. Her loneliness and pain was a cry piercing the grey mists, and for a second the woman seemed to look right at Huntress. And then she was pushed out of the warm embrace of the darkness, tumbling back into the world.

The air was so cold. Soft thick fur grew across her body to shield her, claws erupting through her skin, fangs growing long and sharp as she took form.

Since that moment, they had been inseparable, the woman and the wolf. They recognized something in each other, sharing a bond no mortal can break. Through Huntress, Elynnea was able to maintain a lasting tie to the Ethernere, and through the woman, the wolf was able to stay connected to the physical realm. Severing the bond would be the end of both of them.

She butted her head against Elynnea, hoping to be scratched. The woman smiled warmly, running her hands through the thick fur. "The veil between worlds is thin here. Let's go hunt." 


	4. Fading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having met - and then lost - the man she loves, Elynnea longs to fade from the world of Norrath and find oblivion.

_Long lost words whisper slowly to me_   
_Still can't find what keeps me here_   
_When all this time I've been so hollow inside_

_Evanescence - Haunted_

A storm roared through the jungle of Feerott, raging winds clawing and tearing at the trees, lightning ripping the air apart while rain hammered down from a merciless sky. Elynnea stared gloomily out into the night from the opening to a small cave. Sighing, she turned to her wolf; Huntress. "Looks like we'll stay here tonight, my friend."

The wolf tilted its head and looked at Ely, making a small whining noise.

"I know you want to go home, but I really don't feel up to a hurried flight back to the docks in this weather..." The woman nodded towards the jungle outside, then sat down and began looking through her pack. She clucked her tongue in delight as she found a cheese wrapped in leaves, some dried meat and a small wine bottle. Pulling out the cork with her teeth, she spat it out, then took a long sip before she tossed a piece of meat to Huntress. "Here you go girl, you'll have to make do with rain water for a drink though." The wolf panted in reply, tongue hanging out.

Ely rested her chin on her knees and sighed, drawing a figure in the dirt on the cave floor. "There's nothing for us in Freeport anyway." She stared at the figure, then erased it with a frown on her face. "Friendship is a strange thing. You know, it was on a rainy night like this I met him for the first time. The rain fell more softly then, and I let my hood down to feel the drops fall on my face. I didn't even notice him until he was right next to me." She took another sip from the bottle, and a bite from the cheese before she continued. "He had that arrogant smirk on his lips then; you know the one."

Huntress narrowed her eyes and growled deep down in her throat. Ely continued: "We exchanged a few words before we parted and agreed to meet for drinks later that night. So our friendship began. He was a great man, pure hatred flowed through him. Always. There were some who thought less of him for his obsession with that Koada’Dal, but I know in my heart that he saw the error of his ways before the end."

Absently, she stroked the wolf's head while watching the rain pour down outside. After a long silence, Huntress nudged her mistress gently. Ely turned her head slowly, focusing her gaze on the wolf. "What? Yes. One cold winter’s night his captain came to plead for my help. My love had been poisoned." She sighed, then took yet another sip from the wine. "I hurried to his chambers and found him nearly unconscious on the floor. All night I stayed with him, using all my powers to slow down the poison that burned through him. But it wasn't enough."

Now she frowned, and her icy blue eyes darkened to a deep indigo. Her throat tightened and made her voice coarse as she continued. "He assured me he was getting better and reluctantly, I obeyed his wishes and returned to my own house instead of staying to watch over him. But then his sister wrote to me the morning after to tell me he was gone; that he had attempted letting his own blood to rid himself of the remnants of the poison. That he was forever lost to me." She wrapped her arms around Huntress and buried her face in the thick fur. The wolf howled, a sorrow filled cry piercing through the night and making Ely's skin prickle. "It still hurts, remembering." She paused again, eyes still dark and unrevealing.

When she next spoke, her voice was toneless, her face blank. "I don't recommend it. Love. Highly overrated." She smirked. "I understand the power of hate better now though. Where love makes one weak and vulnerable, hate fuels us and helps one focus on what must be done. He was right in this, too." All her life she had made sacrifices, always seeking to please her god – but now there seemed to be nothing left for her in this world. She had come in the habit of travelling the dark forests of the world alone, walking barefoot under the singing stars, lost to sorrow. She was slowly fading away, she could feel it. She welcomed it.


	5. Lifeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weary with life, Elynnea seeks to end it.

Elynnea was alone by the pond. No, not alone. Huntress, her wolf guardian, was waiting patiently by her side. The twilight hour had always been her favorite time of day, when the shadows grew darker and wrapped the world in their velvety embrace. It seemed fitting somehow, that she would die here, where she had once brought her beloved back from the grey mists of the Ethernere.

She had come to a point where the world held no joy, where there was nothing to distract her and ease her pain. She saw no shame in dying by her own hand. At least then she could choose the manner of her passing. And had he not died like this too, alone, his life slowly draining away, ruby red droplets spilling from his lean, hard body?

A quick smile lit up her face at the thought of him, drove the shadows away and gave some color to her cheeks. She would always be grateful for the time they had, for the understanding between them. But the missing had become harder, when there seemed to be no one in this world that could see into her soul the way he had done. The reasons for why her life had turned dull and empty were many, but the missing was a part of it.

The whispering echoes in her dreams had lit a spark inside of her, the mists of the spirit world swirled and beckoned to her - _Come to us, join us._ She had started to change, her body slowly fading away as she became more ethereal, slipping away from the world. She would turn into a wraith and haunt the lands of the living, and that was something she did not want. She wanted to die, to be free. Anything was better than to be an empty shell, always seeking that which cannot be found.

It was time. She took the long, sharp ceremonial dagger in both her hands and slit her wolf's throat. With a gurgling sound, the animal sunk to the ground, the light in its eyes fading. From its corpse rose a shadow, darker than the surrounding night. The demon set free. Elynnea smiled. "Go, open the gate. I shall not be long."

Her black silky gown clung to her form in the misty darkness, tiny sparkling drops of water in her black hair mirrored the sky where stars lit up, one by one. Absently she wondered what would become of her body. Most likely, wild animals would find and devour it. It mattered not. She did not want a grand burial, with people faking tears and pretending to mourn her passing. No, it was better this way. She doubted anyone would even notice that she was missing.

She turned the dagger towards her chest, its sharp pointy edge pressing into her soft skin. She felt no fear. At last, she would know in truth what it was to be torn away from this world and pulled into the Ethernere. With a twitch of her hands, she drove the dagger deep into her chest, piercing her heart. Her eyes turned glazed, her lips parting in a final gasp as all the air rushed out of her lungs and she slumped to the side, lifeless.


	6. Howl at the moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elynnea's attempt at suicide has unexpected consequenses.

The night is never darker than just before the first shivery breaths of dawn, when cold despair steals into the soul and we abandon all hope. In this hour of broken dreams and twilight, wild sorrow claws at the heart and nightmares come to feed off our most secret fears. Birds fall eerily quiet outside, small animals holding their breaths as death passes by their burrows on silent paws, stalking deeper into the shadows. Ragged wolves arch their backs to howl at a shattered moon, their silvery voices haunting the wilderness – and all across Norrath, humans cower in fear of the dark.

Deep in the heart of the haunted forest, the still waters of the Bone Lake mirrored the endless night above, thin wisps of mist curling across its surface. Here, the dead slept restlessly in the cold dirt beneath twisted pines and rough stones covered in moss, their names forever lost to memory.

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry of agony rippled the night. A cloud slowly drifted across the dark skies, unveiling the moon. Its milky light spilled between trembling, naked branches to caress the face of a young woman, tearing another ragged scream from her throat. Elynnea's ashen skin was slick with sweat; strands of wet, dirty hair plastered to her face. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Sharp, long claws slid out from the tips of her fingers as her body convulsed and writhed in violent, painful spasms. Black fur flowed over her skin, and all around her – inside her – she could feel the presence of her totem. New, aromatic smells rushed into her head; warm and wild. Her nostrils flared as she caught a whiff of something musky and amber – the damp fur of small animals curled up together, their quick breaths filling the air with the scent of sweet grass and earthy roots. Her body grew tense and rigid as she sought for the elusive scent, desperate to find it again.

She lifted her head and sniffed the air, carefully sifting through the layers of scent lingering around her. This time she picked up on the coppery fragrance of fresh blood, guessing that one of the small animals had fallen prey to something larger – and underneath it all, the dusty notes of wet stones and earthy rock. She wanted to run; to hunt. The she-wolf arched her neck and howled at the moon.


End file.
